24.07.2014

Sin, as many people know, is a violation of God's commandments. As Deacon Andrei Kuraev said, sin is considered a wound to the soul that a person inflicts on himself. All people are responsible for their sins before God, except for children under seven years of age, because they are not yet fully aware of their actions.

To believe is to directly place hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. We must not forget that it was Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself in order to acquire for humanity the gift of soul salvation. As Psalm 49:15 tells us, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you.”

Sacrament of Confession

Confession is a great sacrament of Christians, during which a person who has repented of sins is cleansed of his sins directly by our Lord, Jesus Christ. According to the Holy Scripture, when confessing sins, the righteous Lord, thanks to faith, forgives the sins committed and cleanses our soul from all unrighteousness. It is also necessary to take into account that it is not enough to ask God for forgiveness for your sins during home prayer; he entrusted this mission of resolving sinfulness only to the apostles and also their successors, clergy and bishops. You can simply pray in the cathedral, where there is, for example, St. Alexander of Svir. You need to prepare for confession in advance, namely:

• make peace with your neighbors;
• ask for forgiveness from those who may have offended you;
• take communion;
• try to remember all your sins;
• write down your sins on a piece of paper.

It would also be useful to read special literature regarding the upcoming church event before the sacrament.

In the evening, before morning confession, you will need to read the following canons at home:

1. Penitential canon to the Mother of God.
2. Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Repentant canon to the Guardian Angel.

To do this, you can use a prayer book that includes these three canons.

Performing penance

You will also need to perform the penance prescribed by the priest. In some cases, the clergyman imposes penance on the repentant person to help fight the sin he has committed. Penance may include increased prayer, fasting, a ban on directly receiving Communion for some time, almsgiving, pilgrimage to shrines, and the like. This act must be treated precisely as a command from God, which is intended to heal the soul. Penance must be performed.

In the Catholic Church, believers repent in order to have their sins forgiven and for reconciliation and reunification with the church. The priest is given the power by the church with which he can forgive the sins of repentant people. ...

Translated from Greek the word "sin" means "miss, miss the target". Man was created in the image and likeness of God. His goal should be the desire for spiritual insight, for union with the Highest, eternal and unchanging. Only this brings true pleasure. But often, people put in first place things that are transitory, perishable, which is considered a sin.

Initially, a person has freedom. Sometimes he chooses life without God, and then he falls away from Him, withdrawing into his corruptible nature. Instead of searching for truth, he seeks pleasure in the world, tries to satisfy his sensual desires. He thinks this will make him happy. But the joy from everything transitory is fleeting. People become slaves to their sensual aspirations, but are never completely satisfied. Sin eats away at their souls, and they move further and further away from God, living in discord with their true nature.

What is a mortal sin?

called "mortals". The concept of sins “to death” and “not to death” was first mentioned in the Bible by John the Theologian. Mortal sins cause irreparable harm to the soul and lead to its death. Committing such offenses completely destroys the connection between God and man. It can only be restored through repentance.

The clergy emphasize that the division of sins according to this principle is conditional. Any wrongdoing alienates a person from God, no matter how insignificant it may seem. It's like dividing diseases into mild and severe. People treat minor illnesses with disdain, carrying them on their feet. However, even a small cold with this attitude can lead to serious complications and lead to death. Also, ordinary sins, accumulating, can destroy the soul.

Since ancient times, clergy have tried to create a classification of mortal sins in Orthodoxy. Their list included many serious sins, such as murder, suicide, theft, insulting God, abortion, turning to dark forces, lying, etc.

The first attempts to unite all mortal sins into several groups were made by Cyprian of Carthage in the 3rd century AD. e. In the 5th century, Evagrius of Pontus wrote a whole teaching in which he listed the eight main sins that underlie all the others. Subsequently, their number was reduced to seven.

Seven is a sacred number in Orthodoxy. God created the Universe in seven days. The Bible consists of 70 books. In them, the number “seven” is mentioned exactly 700 times. There are seven sacraments through which Divine power is transmitted to believers. So the mortal sins that separate us from God have been conditionally divided into seven groups.

Let us list the sins included in the generally accepted list:

It seems to many that depression is just an innocent human weakness. However, the Church warns against such erroneous judgments. Despondency leads loss of strength, laziness, indifference to other people. Instead of trying to change something, a person despairs, stops hoping for a better outcome and exists in discord with his soul. As a result, he loses faith in God and his mercy.

• Envy

This feeling is based on an inferiority complex and disbelief in the Creator’s plan. It seems to us that God has given others more material goods, power, virtues, beauty, etc. At the same time, we feel disadvantaged, forgetting that everyone is given according to their needs. Instead of improving and honestly achieving what they want, people lose joy in life and begin to grumble at God. Envy leads to the most serious offenses in the form of murder, theft, and betrayal.

No less terrible is the anger that often engulfs self-loving people. A person becomes hot-tempered and irritable if someone contradicts him or acts contrary to his wishes. In the most severe cases anger can lead to murder or violence. In milder cases, it destroys relationships with loved ones and becomes the cause of conflicts, disputes, and misunderstandings. The main damage is caused to the soul, which is corroded from within by resentment and the desire for revenge.

• Gluttony

Understands overeating, as well as drinking alcohol, drugs, smoking cigarettes for pleasure. People susceptible to this vice value sensual pleasures more than spiritual ones. Excessive food and bad habits destroy their body, lead to illness, and dull the mind. It was gluttony that destroyed Adam and Eve, and through them, the entire human race. If you have overcome this addiction, then the fight against other sins is much easier.

The Church blesses the intimate relationships of a man and a woman who are legally married. They put love, spiritual unity and mutual responsibility in the first place. However, adultery, sexual relations outside of marriage, dissolute living, lewd thoughts, reading lewd books or watching related videos considered a mortal sin. Those who indulge in it are distrustful of the opposite sex. Such behavior defiles the soul, since receiving bodily pleasure is put at the forefront of everything. This sin is close in essence to the previous one - in both cases a person is not able to curb his carnal desires.

• Greed

The desire to take more benefits for yourself inherent in a person from birth. Children fight over toys, adults chase cars, houses, career advancement, a rich spouse. Greed drives people to steal, kill, deceive, and extort. The reason for this behavior is spiritual emptiness. Without feeling unity with God, a person feels like a beggar. He tries to compensate for this by possessing material wealth, but fails every time. Not understanding what the matter is, he tries to get even more wealth, thereby moving further and further away from the Creator.

It was this sin that Satan was subject to. At the heart of pride lies t excessive attention to one’s own person, desire for superiority. Pride pushes us to lies, hypocrisy, the desire to teach others, irritability, anger if someone has disrespected us. Considering himself superior to others, a person spoils relationships with others and treats them with disdain. By valuing himself above God, he also rejects God.

Redemption

Human nature is imperfect. Every day we commit sins, big or small, in thoughts or actions. Therefore, it becomes relevant to know how atone for your sins.

There are three erroneous methods that ignorant people resort to:

It is important to understand: we cannot atone for our sins. But we can receive forgiveness through the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ, having lived his earthly life and accepted death on Calvary, gave his soul to atone for our sins. He founded the Church with its Sacraments, through which liberation is granted. One of these Sacraments is confession. Every person can come to Church and repent of their sins.

- This is the reconciliation of man with God. The sacrament takes place in the presence of a witness - a priest. Many churchgoing people are confused by this fact. Of course, it is easier to repent to God without witnesses. But this is exactly what Jesus Christ decreed, and we must come to terms with his will. By submitting, we fight the most serious sin - our pride.

It is not the priest who grants us absolution, but God through him. The clergyman in this sacrament acts as a mediator who sympathizes with us and prays for us.

Preparing for Confession

Let's consider how to properly prepare for repentance

• You need to start by realizing your sins. Churches often publish special lists of sins to help repentant people. They must be treated with caution. Confession should not be a formal reading of excerpts from such a list. You should listen more to your conscience.
• Talk only about your sins, do not try to justify them, do not compare them with the misdeeds of other people.
• There is no need to be shy and look for special words. The priest will understand and will not judge.
• Start confession with the main sins. Some people prefer to talk about small things like watching TV or sewing on Sunday, but keep silent about serious things.
• You should not wait until the day of confession to renounce sin.
• In order for God to forgive us, we ourselves must forgive the offenders and apologize to those whom we have harmed.

Sometimes during confession the priest appoints. This could be reading prayers, doing acts of mercy, bowing to the ground, or abstaining from communion. Penance should not be confused with punishment. It is prescribed so that the believer fully realizes his sin or overcomes it through spiritual exercises. Penance is imposed for a certain time.

Confession ends with a prayer of permission, read by the clergyman. After the Sacrament of Repentance, a burden falls from the soul, it is freed from impurities. You can ask the priest for a blessing for communion.

Communion is a religious rite during which we commune with God through eating bread and wine. The bread symbolizes the flesh, and the wine symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ. By sacrificing himself, he thereby restored the fallen nature of man. Through the Sacrament of Communion we unite with the Creator, we gain our original unity with Him, which existed before the expulsion of people from paradise.

It is important to understand that a person cannot cope with his sinful nature on his own. But he can do it with God's help. It is necessary to ask for this help, because God has endowed man with free will. He will not interfere in our lives arbitrarily. By sincerely confessing our sins, striving to live according to the covenants of Christ, and reverently communing with the Highest through the Sacrament of Communion, we gain salvation and begin to live in harmony with our own soul.

Adultery refers to physical intimacy between people who are married to others. This passion includes prodigal sensations and desires for someone else’s body, unclean thoughts and conversations in a vulgar manner. Not only the adulterer commits adultery, but also the one with whom this sin is committed: guilt and shame lie on both sides.

Fornication and adultery: what is the difference

The apostles say that all unclean deeds and thoughts should not be mentioned at all in the Holy Scriptures. However, the surrounding depravity extremely dulled the sense of morality, so that even people raised in Christianity began to have premarital sexual relations and divorces.

• The sin of adultery in Orthodoxy is associated, first of all, with adultery and betrayal. By succumbing to carnal temptations, a person destroys his own family. Passion can be regarded as betrayal, because a marriage is always a sacred union. Relationships are destroyed, everything that was built in love for each other is in decline.
• Fornication is different in that people enter into a relationship without being in a marital relationship. A person with all his appearance and behavior shows that he has a strong desire to achieve the goal he has set for himself. Prodigal life forces one to violate moral principles and blinds the mind of the individual, violating the law of chastity.

Adulterous individuals provoke a large number of problems and disasters. Sin destroys homes and breeds strife, and withers love and goodwill. Libertines deprive themselves of a huge amount of benefits and replace them with devilish troubles.

Orthodox priests say that there is no one more shameful than a person who commits vile adultery.

On a note! Those suspected of treason live with difficult emotions. It seems to them that the table is filled with poisons, and the house is shrouded in countless evils. Such people have trouble sleeping, and the words of good friends and the light of the bright sun are not pleasant to them. They experience suffering not only when they see their half committing adultery, but also when they think about it.

Spouses must be very close to each other, so it becomes painful for them when a husband or wife finds himself in the unclean and illegal service of another person. People who indulge in fornication are extremely condemned by the people and religion. Adultery carries a greater penalty because the spouses entered into a sacred covenant and swore fidelity to each other.

About family in Orthodoxy:

Believer at confession

Punishment for adultery

Fornication is the name given to carnal pleasure without causing any harm to another.

The sin of adultery gives rise to slander (lies) and insult to the legal union. As punishment, the church can excommunicate an adulterer from communion with the Holy Mysteries for 15 years. A seven-year sentence is prescribed for a fornicator.

Important! The measure of penance (church punishment) is established depending on the condition of the person who committed the sin.

• The people highly condemn any manifestation of infidelity, so the adulterer will feel unpleasant conversations on the side.
• Those who have fallen into fornication cannot receive communion until they repent.
• Punishment comes from one’s own conscience, which does not allow one to forget the sin for a long time. Purification comes only after the memory of this event is destroyed.
• The consequence of the sin of adultery is the suffering that arises after learning about the betrayal. Spouses have to seek a divorce because saving the marriage is even more difficult.
• Any prodigal sin closes the soul’s gate to the Heavenly abode.
• Adulterers will suffer “the second death in the lake of hell, full of fire and brimstone.
• In the New Testament, the bodies of each person become members of the body of Christ, therefore the sinner brings dishonor to the Son of God and dissolves the original unity. Having lost sacred support, a person surrenders to the power of monstrous demons.
• Fornication and adultery build a metaphysical wall through which prayers and forgiveness filter heavily. If you do not take appropriate measures to heal the soul, there is a possibility of falling away from the Church and God forever.
• They distance themselves from the adulterer and turn away. He is considered an object of shame and contempt, he brings grief to his parents and is the subject of unflattering reviews.
• The sin of adultery in Orthodoxy is capable of destroying not only the physical, but also the spiritual shell. They annul moral laws that are independent of human will.

On a note! Saint Basil, speaking about adultery, did not distinguish between adultery on the part of the wife and the husband. In both cases, the sins became mortal and required complete repentance.

This position did not take root in the Christian tradition for a long time, because in ancient times the wife did not have the status of a full member of society.

The meaning of the commandment “thou shalt not commit adultery”

The statements of the Holy Fathers and certain passages from the Gospel have special power against this sin.

• The one who looks at a woman with lust is already committing adultery.
• The children of Israel should not be subjected to this passion, since the heavenly abode does not accept people who are unclean in heart.
• In Orthodoxy, bodies are regarded as a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. It is believed that there is nothing in the material world that belongs to us, therefore sinning at a party is prohibited and unnatural.
• It is necessary to take care of the purity of your body, because the time will come when every Christian will have to give an answer for the life they have lived.
• Adultery is necessarily judged by the Almighty Lord, but a pure marriage and an immaculate bed are permitted by God.

Causes of adultery and the sin of fornication in Orthodoxy

The most important factor in falling into this dangerous passion is the mental desire for the pleasures of the flesh and a drunken life. The enemy (sin) finds loopholes in the consciousness of a Christian if the latter does not drive away evil and lustful thoughts. A soul that has weakened its control over temptations is approaching an unhappy and disastrous fall.

• The clergy note that those who have already fallen under the power of another passion become adulterers and fornicators. The root of all lust is the acquisition of praise and glory.
• Sinfulness increases when people do not protect their bodies from objects of temptation. Pride and vanity, which are rarely noticed by a person, encourage him to engage in fornication in order to satisfy his own lust.
• The apostles call the cause of fornication (fornication) and adultery satiety. When our body is full, the demon of gluttony leaves and invites the unclean spirit of adultery to come and confuse the mind with dirty thoughts and the body with waste.
• The spirit of drowsiness also torments the unfortunate person enough, because a lazy and drowsy mind is not able to provide full resistance to the severe demon of fornication.
• Often the help of the Almighty withdraws from those who ask, because they slander, reproach and condemn their neighbors. Going against his brothers, a person is left alone and is unable to resist destructive temptations.
• A rush of thought is a rapid cause that is almost imperceptible by consciousness. Without words or images, it instantly arouses passion.

How to atone for lustful sin

Each of the passions is capable of capturing the soul and removing it from communication with the Eternal purity of the Lord. If sins are combined, it becomes difficult to get out of a dangerous situation, therefore the task of every Orthodox Christian is to destroy all the seeds of sinfulness.

• The first thing is to cleanse the recesses of the heart, which will allow you to see God in the soul. He will give instructions and faithful advice that will protect you from the influence of the sin of fornication. Not a single thought can be hidden from the Creator, therefore the desire for fornication or adultery must be destroyed by great shame in the face of the Almighty.
• The clergy teach the laity to be more attentive to feelings and desires. Demons of lustful sinfulness often appear in the form of a useful and good deed. Unclean creatures first darken the mind, and then explain what they need.
• Healing will come when the thought of the opposite sex ceases to arouse passion. To reduce temptation, it is necessary to reduce the time of communication and remove vicious thoughts from yourself. The fire of lust flares up precisely in the movement of thought, and not in the body.
• Since the demonic attack is carried out on the body and soul, one must resist in two ways. Physical fasting alone is not enough; a layman should constantly meditate on the Holy Scriptures, and also occupy his hands with work or handicrafts.
• If a temptation arises before a person, he is obliged to find the reason, internal or external, and eradicate it. Chastity presupposes simplicity in attire and peace of one's own flesh, which will not allow lustful moods to arise in the mind.

Prayer help:

The task of every Christian is to destroy vicious moods. In this way the believer brings himself closer to true knowledge, purity and bliss.

• A Christian is obliged to avoid the sin of drunkenness, which will allow him to be more vigilant and will not allow the demon of fornication to lead him into temptation. It is necessary to cleanse your own heart, in which, according to Solomon, dwell the sources of life and death. A person needs to become humble and modest, because passions arise from freedom of communication.
• One of the most important weapons in the fight is keeping feelings within one’s limits. The Church teaches us to step away from the bustle and concentrate on achieving the main goal - cleansing the heart and mind. Priests give the following advice: you can be neutral towards things, even if they are capable of causing lust. The very attitude of the individual to the environment is important.
• A Christian will save his soul from corruption if he can avoid communication with the demon of adultery. The enemy should not be contradicted; absolute ignorance helps. Opposition will only increase the aggression of the unclean demon, who will not rest until he is defeated by humility.
• Another way to get rid of lustful thoughts is righteous anger. If a Christian sees signs of increasing lust in his soul, he should be angry about it. Sympathy will allow sin to remain inside and return in moments of weakness.
• A Christian should not condemn the environment; it is important to have patience and meekness. A person is morally prohibited from attributing to others what he does not know for certain. The believer is recommended to work only on his own consciousness, clearing the way to the Heavenly abodes.
• Confessions and prayers help in the struggle. Often these methods are the last chance of salvation for a deeply mired soul.

Important! Today, young people fall prey to the “zeitgeist” and rarely know that the consequences of prodigal living can lead to serious suffering. However, even the most lost soul has a chance to return to God, since Christianity is a religion of resurrection. History knows a large number of examples of the correction of harlots who became saints, performing a colossal feat.

Spiritual and physical purity (chastity) is a virtue that is the complete opposite of adultery and fornication. Sinful betrayal brings suffering to the family and all its members. An extramarital affair does not harm anyone, but it leaves the seed of fornication for a long time.

The Church obliges all Orthodox Christians to do their best to eradicate this vicious weakness through prayer, confession and fasting. Getting rid of prodigal passions opens the way to the kingdom of heaven and cleanses the consciousness.

Watch a video about fornication and adultery

"I am a sinner." This phrase is sometimes heard from those closest to you. And it is said with particular bitterness.

“We should go to the temple.” Another phrase you might hear. The soul asks to go to church, to confession.

My? There are so many of them that I can’t remember.” And these words make my heart clench. God is merciful, He forgives our sins, including especially serious ones.

What is sin?

This is a violation of the commandments that the Lord left us. In simpler terms, a violation of spiritual law. Sin separates you from God. But this does not mean that nothing can be fixed. By repentance and reviewing your own life, everything is corrected.

Is it possible to atone for sins? We'll talk about this below.

Why do we sin?

It is always easier to go down than to go up. And it is easier to sin than to repent. Why do people sin? Because of my weakness. We don't notice how we sin. Every day, every hour, every minute. It would seem, what can you do especially badly in a day? We woke up and ran to work. We worked until lunch, ate, and worked again. And then it was time to go home. We prepared dinner at home and lunch for tomorrow. The children's homework was checked and the washing machine was started. We talked to my husband. Where are the sins?

Let’s, for the sake of interest, analyze this hectic day. We woke up and didn’t pray. We went to work, if we took public transport, it is quite possible that we reprimanded someone. They didn’t, they thought so badly of that plump woman over there who was loudly arguing with the conductor.

We got to work and poured ourselves some tea. We gossiped with a colleague. While we are working, we will go online more than once. At lunch we chatted with colleagues again and judged someone.

There's probably no point in continuing. They didn’t pray, they allowed bad thoughts, they got carried away with idle talk, they didn’t pray before dinner. These are our sins. And we do them, it seems, not intentionally. Everyday sins have become a habit, no matter how strange it may sound.

But there are special sins. They cry out to Heaven for vengeance. That is, they are followed by severe punishment. If you don’t ask yourself the question of how to atone for sins.

Particularly serious sins

How to atone for sins before God? Sincere repentance and correction of your life. That is, no longer return to sin after repenting of it.

What are these sins mentioned in the title? How to repent of them? Let's look at the answer to the first question first.

Homicide, including abortion.

Withholding pay from a poor employee.

Oppression of a sick, poor person, widow or orphan.

Disrespect for parents, up to and including beating.

These sins need, as we have already said, special repentance. And of course, it is unacceptable to do them again after repentance.

The sin of abortion

How to atone for sin for aborted children? What is the sin here anyway? This is not a person yet, but just a clump of cells. This is what women who have had an abortion think about.

But their reasoning is wrong. Man has a soul, it is immortal. And the Lord gives this soul at the moment of conception. Even a one-day embryo born in the womb already has a soul. And if so, then what right do women have to kill her? What, in essence, the Lord God sends and gives. Abortion is a challenge to God. The woman seems to be saying: “Lord, you gave me a child, but I don’t need him. I think I’m smarter than you, I’ll figure out my own life. Therefore, I’ll kill your gift.”

It sounds creepy and implausible. But if you think about it, that’s how it is. And how can one atone for the sins of abortion?

First of all, realize that this is murder. A certain old man made me realize this very well. A married couple came to him, who already had four children. My wife became pregnant with my fifth child. Standing in front of the elder, she said that the family would not be able to feed another child, so the expectant mother decided to have an abortion.

The elder was silent, and then advised him to kill. But not this unborn baby. It's not fair to not let him see the light of day. And to kill the eldest, fifteen-year-old daughter. She has already lived in the world.

The couple was horrified, the mother said in fear that she could not do this. To which the elder said that killing a child in the womb is no different from killing an adult child. The couple repented of their intentions, and soon their fifth baby was born.

So, awareness is the first path to repentance. Having realized how monstrous an abortion is, you are unlikely to want to go through it again.

And after awareness, the purification of the soul occurs. I no longer have the strength to carry this sin within me; it begins to oppress and gnaw at the failed mother from within. Then she goes to the temple to confess.

A woman, if she feels that penance and prayer are not enough, after consulting with a priest, can perform works of mercy specifically for this sin. For example, give alms, take things to an orphanage, take care of abandoned old people, be a volunteer in a hospital. But this must be done only in agreement with the priest.

The sin of treason

Another very common sin today. A person intentionally commits fornication while being married. How to atone for the sin of treason? By repentance. Sincere and conscious. Confession and works of mercy in agreement with the priest.

Should my spouse admit to cheating? Here you need to consult with your father. Let's give an example from life.

The husband suspected his wife of infidelity. The wife swore and swore that she had nothing with anyone. The man didn't believe it. Then, in despair, the woman took him to the temple and swore in front of the icon that she had not cheated on her husband. She asked if he cheated on her. The husband admitted to cheating. She could not forgive, the marriage broke up.

The elderly priest, having heard this story from his now ex-husband, only said: “You should have been silent, you fool.”

Therefore, in such a difficult situation, only a priest will give sensible advice.

Sin of fornication

How to atone for sins, including prodigal sins? Fornication is intimate relations outside of marriage. Modern civil marriage, as cohabitation is popularly called, is nothing more than fornication.

As one elderly man told his grandson, before entering into an intimate relationship, you need to sign. And in terms of spirituality, also to get married. But the church also recognizes civil painting.

How to atone for the sin of fornication? To atone for this sin, you need, as with all other sins, to sincerely repent. And change your life, give up fornication. And not so that they came to confession, listed their sins, walked out of the temple gates and started all over again. And even if they took communion.

What is sincere repentance?

Imagine: they took a dirty vessel, washed it, filled it with a fragrant drink and sealed it. Take the vessel and fall into a dirty puddle. Do you want to pick it up and print it out? Or wash it again?

After repentance and communion, we are clean vessels filled with God's grace. Why fall into the mud again? God, probably, is also not very pleased to wash us clean every time, knowing that we will begin to sin again. Everyday sins due to lack of understanding can still be understood. But such terrible acts as abortion, adultery or fornication, which people commit on purpose, are scary and incomprehensible.

How to atone for sins at home? Is this possible? Yes, it's possible. We repent of them every day if we read the evening rule. At the very end there is a special prayer in which we confess our day's sins. Afterwards, you can ask for forgiveness in your own words. They are usually the most sincere.

Sincere repentance is awareness of one's sins. Disgust for them and a desire to change your life. Continue it without particularly serious sins. Even in everyday life, monitor your thoughts, words and actions. Try not to allow unnecessary things to happen in your thoughts and actions. But the latter, of course, is the ideal option. Almost monastic, it can hardly be realized in our busy life. Although everything is possible with a strong desire.

How to change your life?

We figured out how to atone for sins and how to repent. But how can you change? It doesn’t happen that once and for all a person has rejected the past. It doesn't happen, of course. We cannot change our start, that is, the past. But we have the power to change the finish line, that is, our own future.

Everything starts small, if we are talking about sins that are not particularly serious. Does a person smoke a pack of cigarettes a day? Let him begin to divide this pack into two days, then into three, then into four. And such a division for a month, for example. So he quits smoking.

Or a person likes to lie in front of the TV on the weekend. And you get up and go get groceries, for example. And then wash the dishes. And lie down again. Next weekend, do not just two things, but three. And every weekend for a month, add more things to do. This is how laziness is overcome.

If the sin is especially serious, for example, treason or fornication, then they must be abandoned once and for all. It’s hard, resisting temptation will be unbearable at first. But gradually the desire to commit this act will begin to disappear. And then it will disappear completely.

Is it worth giving alms for your sins?

A very interesting question. In the understanding of modern people, or rather most modern people, alms must be given in monetary terms. For some reason, people forget about the spiritual.

Meanwhile, it is not at all necessary to give alms in money. Help is spiritual alms. And it is much more valuable than money.

Why not help an old lonely neighbor with groceries? Especially if funds allow. Or not visit a hospice as a volunteer? Or not help a shelter for homeless animals? By this we ask forgiveness for the laws given by God that we have violated.

But any almsgiving must be done in agreement with the priest, we do not forget about this. Sometimes a person takes a very heavy burden on his shoulders in terms of alms. He understands that he is beyond his strength, but he cannot quit. And the murmur begins. It is better to discuss your actions of this kind with the priest, to whom you constantly confess.

Sins of children

How to atone for the sins of children? Before answering this question, we should ask one more: is it possible to do this?

We pray for children; there are special prayers for this. But you cannot atone for the sins of others, even if they are the sins of your own children, without the permission of the priest. Only very strong spiritual personalities, such as the murdered Optina New Martyrs, have the boldness to take upon themselves the sins of others. Or a father for example. How many of us living in the world have reached such spiritual heights? That's it.

Therefore, before you undertake to atone for the sins of your children, first discuss this topic with a priest. Self-will in this case can lead to harmful spiritual consequences.

Conclusion

The main purpose of the article is to tell readers about how to atone for sins. Let us highlight the main aspect of all that has been said:

• It is quite possible to atone for sins. With sincere repentance for them, disgust for them and the desire to change your life. From this moment until your last breath, do not step into the dirt of this or that sin.

Particularly serious sins, treason and fornication, require special repentance and good deeds in life. It is worthy to bear the penance given by the priest, not to grumble about it, to give alms and not to come into contact with these sins anymore - the best repentance by deed.

We cannot atone for our sins, but we have hope. The Lord Jesus Christ says that He came precisely to serve and to give His soul as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

The main thing is not human sins and infirmities in themselves; the main thing - both the first and the most important - is that we are, first of all, members of the Church, members of the Body of Christ, and then - the sick, the weak, the powerless, sinners, whatever. The main thing is that, as in all spiritual life, so in repentance, in the center of it, in the first, main place, is He - and not some me with my supposed super-sinfulness.

Christ made atonement for our sins at Calvary; we are called to receive His gift through repentance and faith. The Lord founded the Church and established the Sacraments in it - special actions through which He frees us from sins and gives us strength for a new life. Therefore, we just need to come to Church and bring our sins to confession. The Word of God firmly promises us that if we confess our sins, He, being faithful and righteous, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Only Christ can cleanse our sins.

A spiritual person can atone for sin through prayer. To do this, you need to remember your life and your sinful adventures. So they found a case and illuminated it with their consciousness, what it is and how to evaluate your thoughts and actions. If you see your sin and condemn it, repenting, then the sin is immediately atoned for and you are lifted up in spirit and your path changes.

Commemoration at the Divine Liturgy (Church Note)

Health is commemorated for those who have Christian names, and repose is remembered only for those baptized in the Orthodox Church.

Notes can be submitted at the liturgy:

For proskomedia - the first part of the liturgy, when for each name indicated in the note, particles are taken from special prosphoras, which are subsequently lowered into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins

Sin is not just some kind of immoral act, it is, first of all, a violation of the law of God, the laws of spiritual life established by the Creator Himself, lawlessness (1 John 3.4), or, in other words, sin is a violation of the will of God. Sin did not come from God and not from nature, but from the abuse of the mind and will of his rational beings, from their arbitrary deviation from God, from replacing His holy will with their own, from self-will. The first violator of His will was Lucifer, one of the rank of Archangels. Now he is Satan, that is, the enemy of God. Therefore, committing a sin is a conscious or unconscious resistance to God, and one must avoid sin in every possible way, making an effort to do so. That original, natural sin, which infected the nature of the first parents, and therefore is hereditary as long as carnal humanity exists, is the reason for the personal sins of everyone. That is why the Lord said, “There is no man who has not sinned.” Thus, the personal sins of each person come from damaged human nature, under the influence of the external world, which “lies in evil,” and from the devil. If you commit a sin, you must repent in order to again become closer to your Creator and Savior, your eternal Protector and Guide.

The Lord forgives us all sins, except mortal sin. Mortal sin is stubborn unrepentance, when the sinner in his bitterness reaches the point that he cannot repent with all his heart. And even if someone was terribly guilty before God, he can, by humbly prostrating himself before Him, bring repentance. Repentance is the basic background of our entire Christian life. The Monk Ephraim the Syrian left us the necessary prayer: “grant me to see my sins.” Again and again: seeing your sin is a spiritual act of extremely great value for all who seek the Face of the Living God. Moreover, this act is the action in us of God Himself, Who is light. Unfortunately, very few people understand in their hearts the true nature of sin. Usually they stand at the level of human morality, and even if they rise above it, it is still not enough (and morality itself, if necessary, can be changed...) Great ascetics, when they confessed, accused themselves of all evil, because they did not find such a sin that was not committed by even a momentary touch of the mind. And no one can be sure that he is beyond the power of the thoughts that visit him. So, to the best of our ability to see ourselves, we need to confess our sins so as not to take them with us after death.

The everlasting psalter

The indefatigable Psalter is read not only about health, but also about peace. Since ancient times, ordering a commemoration on the Everlasting Psalter has been considered a great alms for a departed soul.

It is also good to order the Indestructible Psalter for yourself, you will clearly feel the support. And one more important point, but far from the least important,
There is eternal remembrance on the Indestructible Psalter. It seems expensive, but the result is more than millions of times more than the money spent. If this is still not possible, then you can order for a shorter period. It's also good to read for yourself.

Our entire earthly life, from birth to our last breath, can ultimately be seen and appreciated in an instant. Imagine a vessel of perfectly clean glass full of water; at first glance you can tell whether the water is clean or not, and to what extent. This is how it will be with us upon our transition to another world. Every movement of thought, even fleeting, leaves its mark on the overall quality of our life.

Suppose that during the entire period of my earthly existence, only once did an evil thought, for example, murder, run through my heart. And this single thought will remain a dark spot on the body of my life if it is not expelled through repentant self-condemnation. Nothing can be hidden: “There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be known” (Luke 12:2-3). And for every evil thought we will be tortured in ordeals, which will result in an intermediate judgment: the soul will either go to God, or, pushing away from God, will move “into outer darkness,” to endless torment.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and righteous, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Through sincere repentance with decisive self-condemnation of oneself before God and people, the inner man is cleansed, and the water in the vessel, passed through the spiritual filter of repentance, is restored to its purity. But whoever does not repent becomes an enemy of the Church. Just as rotten branches fall away from a tree, so unrepentant sinners fall away from the head of the Church - Jesus Christ. Christ Himself is the vine, and we are the branches feeding on life. Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov) says: “Sometimes they come to me for confession and say: we have no sins. I ask, do you go to Church and pray? It turns out, no, they don’t go, they don’t pray. And they don’t admit their sins: they say, we do good, we bring benefit. Then I ask such people: are these chairs useful? - yes, they bring it, - but earthworms do good? - Yes, good. - Are the chairs alive? - Dead. - What about spiritual worms? - No. So you are like these chairs or those worms..."

What should we repent of? Firstly, in one’s own sins; secondly, in the sins that we have brought upon our neighbors through inducement, temptation or bad example; thirdly, that they did not do the good deeds that they could have done; fourthly, in the fact that they led their neighbors away from good deeds; fifthly, that even the good deeds themselves were done with half a sin. And you need to ask your conscience about all such matters. Consciousness of one's sins and self-reproach for them are the first steps on the path of repentance.

Sorokoust is a prayer service that is performed by the Church daily for forty days. Every day during this period, particles are removed from the prosphora.
Elder Schema-Archimandrite Zosima noted that the entire history of mankind is measured in “weeks and forties.” “For forty days Christ appeared to his disciples, remaining on earth until the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. The holy feast is the fortieth day of the Ascension of the Lord. We celebrate Easter on the eve and we will celebrate the great annual holiday on the fortieth day after Easter - the Ascension of the Lord. Forty days of fasting, forty days Easter, everything goes by forties, weeks and forties, and the history of mankind also goes by weeks and forties.” Sorokousts are ordered about health, especially about seriously ill people.

Sometimes it seems difficult to draw the line where sin begins. What is the difference, say, between curiosity and inquisitiveness, between indifference and dispassion, between fashion and custom? In such cases, the differences are easiest to find out in opposites. Curiosity is opposed to restraint and modesty, curiosity is opposed to dullness and laziness. Indifference is opposed by sympathy and responsiveness, dispassion is opposed by nervousness and vanity. To neglect fashion means to maintain chastity, freedom and independence of taste. To neglect custom means to be proud of oneself and to despise people. By reflecting on other similar qualities, one can learn to determine the boundaries of moral and spiritual behavior.

Some people consider a small sin to be a big one, but they hardly think about grave and great sins. So, for every pancake during Lent they are ready to spend their lives, and insults and condemnations of their neighbor, killing him in the eyes of others, are considered almost nothing.

Before going to confession, we must forgive everyone everything. Forgive immediately, now, and never remember the offense! Live as if they never existed. We must make peace with all our neighbors. Only then can we hope to receive forgiveness from the Lord.

To repent means to feel in your heart lies, madness, the severity of your sins; it means to realize that they have insulted their Creator, Lord, Father and Benefactor, who is infinitely holy and infinitely abhors sins; it means to wish with all your soul to correct and smooth them out. And just as we sin with all the strength of our soul, so repentance must be all-soul. Repentance only in words, without the intention of correction and without feelings of contrition, is called hypocritical. And the coldness of the heart in confession, as in prayer, is from the devil, he is the coldness of the abyss of hell.

Sometimes it is difficult and painful to reveal all your shameful deeds and thoughts to your confessor without concealment; sometimes it is painful, shameful and humiliating. But we must overcome this last demonic barrier of false modesty on the path of salvation by reading the “Doors of Mercy” and the Creed. Otherwise, the wound will remain unhealed and will undermine mental health, remaining a putrid leaven for subsequent sins. For the same reason, one should not postpone confession. Verb, it is said, your iniquities, and do not remain silent about them, so that you may be justified. One must always acknowledge one’s own evil will as the culprit of sin. Let us not be ashamed or cry in confession. If a person cried, it means he humbled himself; the proud and self-loving do not cry.

Some Christians, out of shame, cowardice, and fear, hide their sins from their confessor. By doing this they cause themselves great spiritual harm. Through hidden sins, the devil continues to dominate the soul of the sinner. The grace of God does not heal such a soul. It is not for nothing that the priestly prayer at confession says: “If you hide anything from me, you will have a double sin.”

Prayer for health

A prayer service is a special divine service in which they ask the Lord, the Mother of God, the saints to send mercy or thank God for receiving benefits. In the church, prayer services are held daily, except during Lent, at the end of the liturgy. On Sunday, after the early liturgy, a prayer service is performed with the blessing of water, that is, a small blessing of water occurs. Such prayer services belong to private worship and are performed at the request and needs of individual believers. Public prayer services are performed on temple holidays, on New Year’s, before the start of the youths’ teaching, during rainless periods, etc. You can also order a thanksgiving prayer to the Savior on behalf of a person or several people who thank the Lord.

Pure confession destroys untruth, turns away from sin, protects from evil, confirms in goodness, strengthens against temptations, supports vigilance, keeps on the path of God's commandments, strengthens against temptations, pours holy peace into the soul, increases the desire for a pious life and makes a person a better person every day. the day is cleaner and more perfect.

Some may think that based on everything that has been said, you can sin as much as you want, and then you will repent - and that’s all. But such a thought is the deception of the devil. The great sacrament of repentance and the mercy of God do not at all provide grounds for a sinful life, “for if we, having received the knowledge of the truth, sin willfully, there remains no more sacrifice for sins” (Heb. 10.26). Whoever, in the hope of repentance, allows himself to sin arbitrarily and intentionally, acts treacherously in relation to God. A person who sins arbitrarily and intentionally, in the hope of constant repentance and forgiveness, is suddenly struck by death, and he is not given time, like a liar, for supposed virtues. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove your evil deeds from before my eyes,” the Lord calls, “stop doing evil; learn to do good, seek truth, save the oppressed, defend the orphan, stand up for the widow. Then come and let us reason, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be white as snow; if they are red as crimson, they will be white as wool. If you want and obey, you will eat the blessings of the earth; But if you deny and persist, the sword will devour you: for the mouth of the Lord speaks” (Isa. 1:16-20). To sin while hoping for God’s mercy is “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,” that is, an unforgivable sin.

Likewise, those who say: “We will sin in youth, but repent in old age,” will be deceived and ridiculed by demons. As those who sin arbitrarily, they will not be worthy of repentance and will die without confession.

The consequences of a sinful life are blindness of mind, bitterness, and insensibility of the heart: “my iniquities have gone beyond my head, like a heavy burden weighed down on me” (Ps. 37:5). What is the consequence of such sinfulness? “My heart has forsaken me” (Ps. 39:13). The mind of an inveterate sinner sees neither good nor evil - his heart loses the ability to sense spiritual sensations, his conscience is literally burned. When, with the help of God's grace, the multitude of his sins is revealed to a person, then it is impossible for him not to be extremely bewildered by such a spectacle in his life. Through the cutting off of sins in confession, a person’s conscience awakens and is cleansed, which is felt even physically, in the body; a person’s brain becomes clearer, his soul becomes joyful. In one of the churches in Perm there was even a case of healing of the back of a bent old woman immediately after confession. She, having moved about ten meters away from the lectern, suddenly turned around and ran back to the priest: “Father, my back has stopped hurting!” - she almost screamed. And everyone in the church began to be moved, as the Lord clearly showed the healing power of the sacrament of confession.

Church note

A church note given “for health” or “for repose,” along with candles, is the most widespread and common church appeal of people to the Lord, the Mother of God and the holy saints

For proskomedia - the first part of the liturgy, when for each name indicated in the note, particles are taken out of special prosphoras, which are subsequently dipped into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of the sins of those commemorated,

At mass - this is what people call the liturgy in general, and the commemoration of it in particular. Usually such notes are read by clergy and clergy before the Holy See;

At the litany - commemoration for all to hear. It is usually performed by a deacon. At the end of the liturgy, these notes are commemorated a second time in many churches, at services. You can also submit a note for a prayer service or memorial service.

But dear readers! Please do not think that the Church focuses us on the concepts of “should” and “impossible”, that the Church, like a kind of corral, slams the door behind us - and that’s it, now there are only fasts and rules, obedience and cutting off everything that is possible. The Church is the house of God in which the human soul grows and develops. The purpose of this life is to become a partaker of Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven in joy and peace. The path to God is long, the whole life. In the spiritual life of every person, regardless of age, there is childhood, adolescence, and maturity. And you need to “grow”, improve gradually, albeit with the compulsion of the will (as in any matter), which actually proves love for God. You just need to remember that spiritual growth is the main task of life, a spiritual guideline in any field of life. We must remember the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, freeing people from the torment of sins and bitter captivity in the elements of this world, and that only in the Church does a person find true freedom.

Repentance involves not just awareness of sin, but specifically sin before God. And this is very important. All the feelings that penitential practice invites us to go through: self-reproach, humility, seeing ourselves as worse than everyone else, fear of punishment, etc. - in their true sense, they must be not just human feelings, emotions, movements of the soul, heart, mind, but precisely religious feelings, and positively religious ones at that. That is, they are true and correct only when they are accomplished in God, before Him, in the context of Him and the Church by the joint action of our soul and the grace of God - co-creativity, synergy - but in no case on their own. I draw your special attention to this, because here is the root of all religious errors. Self-reproach is not convincing yourself: I am a freak and a nonentity. Humility is not a complex of guilt and inferiority, speaking in the language of psychology. Repentance is not self-remorse, not at all. I repeat, these are positive religious feelings, that is, they mean: there is a God, He is Love and Mercy; He is my Savior, exactly mine, all good and good is all His. Mine, indeed, are passions and infirmities; but despite them, He gave me such a gift in the Church - to live by Him, His goodness, goodness and perfection; and I am a member of His Body, I live by Him and I do not want to live by myself, by my passions. And for the sake of precisely this, and only this - to live by Him, I do everything: I repent, and pray, and abstain, and fight against sin, and so on, and so on, that the Church prescribes - in order to seek Christ, to be with Him so that by His grace you can fill your weakness. And not for the sake of simply stating hourly that I am a sinner, not in order to eat myself up. This is what happens in repentance.

And humility is the feeling that God loves me immensely, as well as all others, and we are the same before Him - equally weak and sick, and I, perhaps, more than others; but He accepts us all, heals, nourishes, supports, consoles, admonishes us with great love and mercy, like a mother and child; and before Him everything is ours, even something good and good - nothing, zero, dust and ashes. This is humility and self-reproach. And all these repentant feelings should bring to a person’s soul not despondency and despair, not an inferiority complex, which always happens when we deprive repentance of a church context, but - precisely because these are spiritual movements of the soul - the grace of the Holy Spirit. This is not delight, not rosy exaltation, not blood fever - the grace of the Holy Spirit is evidenced in the soul by a subtle, peaceful, joyful, humble, quiet, cool, truly spiritual feeling, giving a person peace, love and freedom - and, as it were, gathering a person into something whole, into what it should be according to God's plan.